Stuff from 22 July 2009 Myspace

Current mood:annoyed

Not happy Jan. I just lost my first blog by accidentally moving off this page without saving. How about an auto save feature myspace?

So I'll do it all again.

The redoubtable Mr Stephen Fry has orated the Spectator Lecture, Royal Geographical Society, presented in London 30th April 2009 on America's Place In The World. The polymath Mr Fry is the Oscar Wilde of my generation, which is probably why he made the film Wilde - to embarrass people in case of his prosecution.




 Enough pleasantries. The US Police in Massachusetts have made a small mistake: Police arrest prominent black history scholar for breaking into own home. "Chief? There's a mister Obama on the phone who wants to talk to you ...".

Any media students out there might give the Guardian a look, since it's that rarest of beasts, an independent newspaper with a history of quality journalism.

Then there is climate change. For an excellent comment on Why do so many not accept climate change data? by David Mayne Reid who is a professor of biology at the university of Calgary (in Canada).

Finally for today, more kids in Geelong have suicided as a result of cyber bullying: Grieving mother issues warning to parents. Sadly, being mean is not a crime (actually it's probably just as well - the jails would be full). But cyber bullying is bullying on steroids 24/7. So turn off the phone/computer at night, install filtering software, tell someone, and tell the bullies they are pathetic scum sucking foreskin infections unworthy to inhale the steam from your excrement. And then move on whistling Jerusalem.

Thus endeth the missive.
Rzzr

Study shows forests have bigger role in slowing climate change

Here's some good news (for a change):

A major surprise was the finding that young regrowth forests in the tropics were far better at soaking up carbon than thought, absorbing nearly 6 billion tonnes of CO2 -- about the annual greenhouse gas emissions of the United States.

"This is huge and the relevance for REDD is here you have a huge sink that is bigger than the established tropical forests," said Canadell, referring to the U.N.-backed scheme reducing emissions from deforestation and degradation.

A good reason for the usually poorer tropical countries to stop clearing forests for wood and start reforesting for carbon credits which can be swapped for money. What it also implies is that if you were to selectively log re-established forests for high value woods (once they are mature), by replanting you would actually increase the carbon density of the forest. How's that for a change? Forest management would then become a significant, stable, renewable industry subsidised by first world carbon credits. This would be useful foreign aid (for another change).

I wonder if this applies to temperate forests? If so, Victoria and Tasmania might have a go as well. Yet another reason why Queensland land clearance not only has to stop but reverse.

For more:
Study shows forests have bigger role in slowing climate change

Interactive Movie - How the human brain works

Another fine graphic from New Scientist rendering a fairly straightforward picture of something horribly complex.

See: Interactive Movie - How the human brain works - New Scientist